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Agriculture is no longer just a domestic business — it's one of the most active segments of international commerce. India's agricultural and allied export earnings reached USD 52.55 billion in FY 2025–26, the highest figure in three years.

Top 5 export categories by value:

Rice (Basmati + Non-Basmati) — ~19% of total agri exports. Basmati alone brought in ~USD 5.8 billion, driven by demand from Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, and the UAE.

Marine Products — ~USD 7.4 billion. Frozen shrimp leads, with the USA, China, UAE, and EU as dominant buyers.

Spices — ~USD 4.4 billion. India supplies over 70% of the world's spices — chili, turmeric, cumin, cardamom, black pepper, ginger.

Fresh Fruits & Vegetables — ~USD 1.8–2.0 billion. Fresh fruit exports grew 12.89% in FY 2025–26, reaching USD 1.32 billion, thanks to improved cold chain logistics for sea freight.

Processed Fruits, Juices & Cereal Preparations — ~USD 1.0 billion. Mango pulp, purees, and ready-to-eat products increasingly sourced by Western food and beverage brands for their supply chains.

Why India leads. India sits across multiple agroclimatic zones and has the second largest arable land area in the world — over 140 million hectares under cultivation. Government schemes like RoDTEP and APEDA's support have made it easier for exporters to compete globally.

5-year trajectory: Total agri exports dipped to ~USD 48.9 billion in FY 2023–24 due to export restrictions on rice, sugar, and onions, then recovered strongly once those restrictions were lifted — FY 2025–26 now stands as the highest in three years.

If sourcing or selling apparel connects to your business, there's one event you cannot skip — the India International Garment Fair (IIGF). For more than three decades, this fair has built itself into one of the most trusted platforms giving international buyers direct access to India's manufacturing base.

Two editions in 2026:

74th IIGF: 23–25 January 2026, Yashobhoomi, Dwarka, New Delhi — standalone garment fair, 300+ exhibitors, 70+ buyer nations

75th IIGF (within Bharat Tex 2026): 14–17 July 2026, Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi — merged into the 3rd Bharat Tex, with 1000+ leading exporters and buyer numbers expected to exceed prior editions

What buyers get that most fairs don't:

Complimentary hotel stay (up to 4 nights)

Complimentary breakfast + free Wi-Fi

Airport transfers and hotel-to-venue transport

Dedicated Buyer's Lounge for follow-up meetings

Pavilions covered: Women's Wear, Men's Wear, Kids' Wear, Knitwear, and Fashion Accessories — each organized so buyers can move straight to relevant categories.

The numbers behind the fair. The 75th edition alone lists 1000+ exporters, 1,400+ registered buyers, 500+ sourcing consultants, and 400+ participants. The 73rd edition drew 450+ Indian exhibitors and 1,000+ buyers from 70+ countries.

Why it matters now. Global apparel buyers are actively diversifying away from single-country dependency, and Indian manufacturers offer competitive pricing, a vast raw material base, and manufacturing capacity spanning mass-volume basics to detailed, design-heavy pieces.

If your business touches organic food, natural products, or the fast-growing millet sector, there is one event you cannot afford to overlook — BIOFACH INDIA. Held annually in Delhi-NCR, the 2026 edition marks its 18th year.

Quick snapshot:

Dates: 6–8 August 2026

Venue: India Expo Mart (IEML), Greater Noida, Delhi-NCR

Organizer: NürnbergMesse India, under the aegis of APEDA

Co-located with: NATURAL EXPO INDIA and MILLETS INDIA

Entry: Free for registered trade visitors, above 18 years only

Why it matters in 2026. India's organic products market is projected to grow at a CAGR of ~25.25% between 2022–2027, reaching around USD 10.1 billion by 2026. Millets are having a genuine export moment too — India's millet exports rose to roughly USD 75.46 million in 2022–23, up from USD 62.95 million the year before.

Three shows, one platform:

BIOFACH INDIA — the anchor show covering organic ingredients, processed organic food, and Ayurvedic products

NATURAL EXPO INDIA — natural food and beauty products

MILLETS INDIA — the full millet ecosystem

Show highlights:

The Farmer's Market, hosted by OFAI, gives visitors direct access to farmer-producer organizations

The APEDA Pavilion features live demonstrations, from organic tea brewing to millet-based recipe showcases

Nature's New & Now spotlights trends like superfoods, precision agriculture, and clean beauty

The numbers. The most recent edition drew approximately 197 exhibitors and around 6,400 visitors from 18 countries.

If you are involved in food, beverages, or agricultural trade, there is one event on the Asian calendar that genuinely deserves your attention — THAIFEX–Anuga Asia. Held every year in Bangkok, this trade show has grown into the most critical sourcing platform across the entire Asia-Pacific region.

The 2026 edition is the largest ever:

Dates: 26–30 May 2026

Venue: IMPACT Arena, Bangkok, Thailand

Exhibition Space: 140,000+ sqm across 12 Halls

Exhibitors: 3,500+ from 56 countries

Visitors: 90,000+ from 130+ countries

Hosted Buyers: 2,000+ from 47 countries

9 Trade Shows Under One Roof: Drinks, Fine Food, Food Technology, Frozen Food, Fruits & Vegetables, Meat, Rice, Seafood, and Sweets & Confectionery — each running as its own specialized show within the same venue.

Hall 4 — where innovation meets the market. This purpose-built space hosts the Future Food Experience+, THAIFEX–Anuga Taste Innovation Show, Trend Zone, Startup Pavilion, and New-to-Market Street — the place to spot the next big category shift.

Real commercial outcomes. Previous editions have generated billions in trade value — Philippine food exporters alone reported over $46.5 million in confirmed sales at the 2025 edition.

Who attends. Senior procurement managers, hotel and restaurant purchasing teams, food import companies, and national distributors. Globally recognized names like Lotte Mart, FairPrice, DKSH, Sysco, and 7-Eleven have all participated as hosted buyers.

2026 trends to watch: plant-based and alternative proteins, clean label transparency, functional and free-from products, halal food, sustainably produced goods, and superfoods.

Ginger does not carry the same headline recognition as basmati rice, but it's an origin the world consistently counts on. India exported ginger worth USD 98.9 million in 2024, shipped to more than 50 countries — and that single number hides a sharp price divide.

Top 5 buyers:

Bangladesh — $32.5M, $0.53/kg — the volume leader, buying bulk fresh ginger via land/river routes

Morocco — $18.2M, $4.24/kg — the dried ginger powerhouse, nearly 8x Bangladesh's price

United States — $10.5M, $4.25/kg — premium, compliance-driven, health-supplement demand

UAE — $9.0M — functions as a regional re-export hub for the Gulf and East Africa

Saudi Arabia — $4.3M

The real story. Fresh ginger moves in bulk to nearby markets at low unit prices, while dried ginger travels farther and commands nearly 10x the price — used in food processing, pharmaceuticals, and nutraceuticals rather than eaten straight off the shelf.

Production behind the exports. India crossed 2.33 million metric tonnes of ginger production in 2023–24 across ~194,000 hectares, with Madhya Pradesh leading at ~25% share, followed by Odisha, Karnataka, and Assam.

GI-tagged varieties matter. Assam's Karbi Anglong Ginger shipped its first-ever GI-tagged export consignment to London in 2026 — a sign of growing international appetite for verified, origin-certified Indian spice products.

5-year trend. Unit price climbed steadily from $0.91/kg in 2020 to $1.20/kg in 2024, even as raw tonnage shipped declined — a clear sign the mix is shifting toward higher-value, processed ginger.

Black pepper carries a title few other spices can claim — the "king of spices." Production setbacks in Vietnam, Brazil, and Sri Lanka over the past two seasons have tightened global supply at exactly the moment clean-label food brands are pushing piperine-rich, natural spices back into the spotlight.

Top buyers of whole/dried pepper (HS 090411):

United States — $6.77M (16.5%)

Germany — $5.94M (14.5%)

Sweden — $4.49M (10.9%) — a genuine surprise, outbuying the UK and Canada

UAE — $3.08M

Canada — $2.6M

Crushed/ground pepper (HS 090412) tells a very different story — the United States alone accounts for the overwhelming majority of India's exports here, with Australia a distant second.

India's global ranking. #6 in whole pepper (~4.89% of global export value), #2 in crushed/ground pepper, trailing only Vietnam.

Why demand is rising in 2026. Vietnam's production has slid for three straight years, Brazil dropped sharply before a partial recovery, and Sri Lanka's decline has been the steepest — down from 20,000 to 14,000 metric tons. Meanwhile, India's 2025 monsoon delivered well-distributed rainfall across Kerala and Karnataka, pointing toward a stable-to-slightly-higher 2026 yield.

What exporters should focus on. The US and Germany remain the markets to anchor around, but Sweden deserves real attention — it rarely gets mentioned in generic trade advice despite consistently outbuying bigger-assumed markets. Organic certification under NPOP, USDA Organic, or EU Organic continues to unlock premium pricing in Germany and the Netherlands.

India is the world's largest turmeric producer and exporter, holding a dominant share of global trade. With export FOB prices ranging from $1.28 to $1.92 per kg, Indian turmeric remains one of the most actively sourced agricultural commodities internationally.

Why India leads. Growing across multiple agroclimatic zones means India produces several commercially distinct types — Erode and Nizamabad finger turmeric are the volume workhorses across Africa and Southeast Asia, while Lakadong and Alleppey carry a naturally high curcumin content of 6–9%, exactly what pharmaceutical and nutraceutical buyers look for.

Four mandatory registrations:

IEC from DGFT — ₹500 one-time

CRES from Spices Board of India — 3-year validity, also functions as RCMC

FSSAI Central License — ~₹7,500/year

GST Registration + LUT — enables zero-rated exports

HS Code: 0910.30 — needs to appear correctly on every shipping document.

Compliance by market:

EU: Cadmium cap of 0.1 ppm, phosphine-only fumigation, mandatory Spices Board OSCS certificate. Between Jan 2020–July 2025, the EU recorded 14 RASFF alerts for turmeric — 11 traced back to India.

USA: Mandatory FDA facility registration, lead ceiling of ~2 ppm, zero tolerance for Salmonella.

Japan: Positive-list pesticide system — one of the toughest markets for compliance.

Lead contamination risk. The most commonly cited quality issue is lead contamination, usually traced to illegal color enhancers like lead chromate. Buyers now routinely ask for ICP-MS heavy metal testing from NABL-accredited labs.

2026 pricing snapshot: Overall FOB range sits at $1.28–$1.92/kg, with Lakadong and Alleppey at the higher end due to elevated curcumin content.

India does not just grow spices — it defines what the rest of the world thinks a spice should taste like. India's spice exports touched an all-time high of USD 4.72 billion in FY 2024–25, before settling at USD 4.43 billion in FY 2025–26, a normal correction after a record-breaking run.

Top 10 Spices by Export Value (FY 2024–25):

Chili — $1,342.52M (China, Thailand, USA)

Cumin (Jeera) — $732.35M (China, Bangladesh, UAE)

Spice Oils & Oleoresins — $535.92M (USA, China, South Korea)

Mint Products — $417.80M (China, USA, Germany)

Turmeric — $341.54M, +50.7% YoY (Bangladesh, UAE, USA)

Curry Powder/Paste — $247.59M (USA, UAE, UK)

Small Cardamom — $184.65M, +52.9% YoY (UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait)

Ginger — $124.78M, +59.7% YoY (Bangladesh, Morocco, USA)

Pepper (Black) — $124.54M, +40.0% YoY (USA, Sweden, UK)

Coriander — $74.84M (Malaysia, UAE, USA)

Why India stays on top. Growing across multiple agroclimatic zones means unmatched variety — chili from Andhra Pradesh, cumin from Gujarat, turmeric from Maharashtra, and pepper from Kerala, all under one export framework.

What buyers should check before sourcing. Verified Spices Board registration, region of origin (a Guntur chili and Byadagi chili behave very differently), transparent FOB pricing, and clean pesticide residue documentation — especially for EU, USA, and China-bound shipments.

Cardamom is often called the "Queen of Spices", and for Indian exporters, it's one of the most rewarding commodities to trade internationally. India ranks as the world's second-largest cardamom producer after Guatemala, with Kerala's Idukki district driving the bulk of green cardamom output and Sikkim's hill farms supplying the large black variety.

Four registrations you can't skip. Before a single kilogram leaves an Indian port:

IEC from DGFT

CRES from the Spices Board of India (via DGFT e-RCMC portal — this also works as your RCMC)

FSSAI Central License

GST registration + LUT filing for zero-rated exports

Grading matters a lot. Within green cardamom, AGEB (8mm and above) is export quality and trades at a clear premium over AGS (6–7mm), which is mostly used for grinding.

What buyers actually screen for. EU and US buyers expect a Certificate of Analysis from an NABL-accredited lab — moisture, volatile oil content, ash, and pesticide residue — before they'll even consider placing an order. The EU specifically enforces maximum residue levels and aflatoxin limits, and has recorded 16 RASFF food-safety notifications tied to cardamom since 2021, mostly linked to pesticide residues.

Pricing snapshot (2026). FOB prices for bulk, high-quality green cardamom currently range roughly $12–$20 per kg, though the broader historical range stretches from $12 to $48 per kg depending on grade, season, and buyer.

Finding buyers. The UK is already India's largest single cardamom destination within Europe, at roughly 8.9% of total European cardamom imports. Beyond direct outreach, Spices Board buyer-seller meets, trade fairs, and B2B platforms where certifications are visible upfront tend to work far better than cold contact — serious buyers don't take chances on unverified suppliers.

Cloves don't dominate global trade headlines the way rice or coffee do, but the numbers tell a sharp story. Global clove exports crossed USD 662.3 million in 2024, up 8.5% from the year before and nearly 75% higher than four years earlier — steady, compounding demand from a handful of countries that simply cannot grow enough clove themselves.

Who's buying the most. India is actually the world's 2nd-largest clove consumer, importing around 31,000 tons a year and roughly 95% import-dependent since it barely grows clove domestically. The UAE, Indonesia, China, and Saudi Arabia round out the top five importers.

Two different leaders on the export side. Indonesia leads by volume — 51,423 tonnes (55.1% of global export volume) — but Madagascar actually leads by value at USD 320 million (53% of global export value), thanks to higher essential-oil content and stronger grading in its cloves.

Where the real margin sits. India's re-export model is worth noting here — it imports clove at an average of ~USD 6,883/ton, then re-exports processed, graded material at closer to ~USD 8,938/ton. That ~USD 2,000-per-ton gap is the tangible value of cleaning, grading, and processing infrastructure.

2026 market conditions. Madagascar's weaker 2024–25 harvest has tightened supply, pushing premium-grade FOB prices to roughly USD 6,800–8,400 per tonne. Buyers in the Netherlands, Germany, and the UK are increasingly competing for certified, traceable lots rather than settling for the cheapest bulk — a direct response to that supply squeeze.

Spices have always been India's oldest export story — but in 2026, that story is being written in verified export data. India grows nearly three-quarters of every ISO-recognized spice variety on earth, and spice trade remains one of the most active B2B categories in Indian agri-export.

The numbers. India's spice exports touched USD 4.72 billion in FY 2024–25, the highest figure on record at the time, before easing slightly to USD 4.43 billion in FY 2025–26. That dip isn't a red flag — it's a reminder that even a category this dominant moves with global demand cycles and currency shifts.

Where the value actually comes from. Chili leads by a wide margin at 27% of total export value (~$1.2B), followed by cumin and spice oils/oleoresins at 12% each. Small cardamom, mint products, and turmeric round out most of the remaining share — together, these categories account for more than 90% of India's total spice export earnings.

Who's buying. The USA is India's largest spice buyer at 14% of export earnings, followed by China (12%), UAE (9%), Bangladesh (8%), and Saudi Arabia (5%). The UAE, notably, functions less as an end consumer and more as a regional re-export hub distributing Indian spices onward across Africa and Europe.

Why India keeps winning this trade. India cultivates roughly 75 of 109 ISO-recognized spice varieties, produces around 12 million metric tonnes annually, and has serious government backing behind it — the SPICED scheme (₹422.30 crore outlay) plus a stated target of USD 10 billion in exports by 2030 and USD 25 billion by 2047.

If you're anywhere near garment manufacturing or textile machinery in India, Gartex Texprocess India is the one event that keeps coming up in every serious conversation about sourcing. The 2026 Delhi edition runs 6–8 August at Bharat Mandapam, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi — and it's quietly become the backbone of how India's garment and textile industry sources equipment and builds long-term supplier relationships.

The numbers tell the story. The 2025 Delhi edition drew 200+ exhibitors, 600+ brands, and 15,790 visitors from 436 Indian cities and 31 countries. For 2026, organizers are targeting an even bigger turnout — 250+ exhibitors, 800+ brands, and 16,000+ visitors.

Strictly B2B. Entry is restricted to trade professionals and corporate buyers aged 16+ — no retail sales on the floor. That filtering is exactly why garment factory owners, textile mill operators, and procurement heads treat it as a serious sourcing event.

What's on the show floor:

Garment & Textile Machinery – sewing, cutting, embroidery, digital printing

The Denim Show – covering the entire denim value chain

Fabrics & Trims Show

Screen Print India – Textiles

Textile Care Forum

LeatherX Pavilion

Where the industry is heading. Automation continues to dominate as garment units push to reduce manual dependency, while sustainability — energy efficiency, water usage in finishing — has become a genuine buying criterion, not just a talking point.

Western India is stepping into the spotlight this year with Indusfood Ahmedabad 2026, running July 24–26 at the Helipad Exhibition Centre in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. Backed by the Government of India and organized by the Trade Promotion Council of India (TPCI), it's fast becoming one of the most credible F&B sourcing events in the country.

The scale says a lot. The event is expected to bring in 250+ exhibiting companies, 15,000+ trade visitors, and 40+ supermarket and retail chains, spread across 15+ product categories — everything from fine food, dairy, and spices to marine products, organic foods, and plant-based alternatives.

Why it stands out. Unlike a general consumer expo, Indusfood is structured around real B2B outcomes — sourcing, export readiness, and genuine buyer-seller connections. The three-day schedule also includes dedicated sessions on FSSAI compliance, sustainable packaging, and export risk management, alongside the usual networking.

Day-by-day breakdown:

Day 1 – Grand opening, keynotes on India's F&B export landscape

Day 2 – Innovation showcase, focused on processing and packaging tech

Day 3 – B2B networking gala, where most serious deal-making happens

Whether you're an exporter, buyer, retailer, or packaging/tech provider, this event is worth prioritizing if export-readiness and genuine sourcing are your goal — not just browsing a show floor.